Computing cheese-cutting apparatus.



l Nn. 689,58I. Pa'tonted Deo. 24, 'i90-l.

' I W. M. EVANS.

GDIIPIUTIRGHGHEES CUTTING APPARATUS.

(Appnmimf. med 'June 15, 1901.)

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W. M. EVANS. CUIIPUTING CHEESE CUTTING APPARATUS.

(Application led Jung 15, 1901.) (No Ml'ndal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vWILLIAM M. EVANS, OF NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO A. II.BERGMAN, FRED' M. TAYLOR, AND CARROLL C. SIWIEAD, OF

NEWTON, IOWA.

CUTTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,581, dated December24, 1901.

Application filed June 15,1901.

To @ZZ whom it may. concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M.vEvANs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton, in the county of Jasper'and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Computing Cheese-CuttingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a computing cheese-cuttingapparatus of sim\ ple, durable, and inexpensive constructioufby whichcheeses ofany ordinary size or weight maybe quickly and easily cutintoportions of predetermined values without waste and with a maximum ofaccuracy.

My invention consists incertain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination ofthe various parts of the device wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 shows a vertical central sectional view ofthe complete device. Fig. 2 shows top or plan viewof same. Fig. 3illustrates one of the detachable rules, and Fig. 4 shows similar ruledetached for use in connection with a cheese of differentweight andvalue. Fig. 5 showsa top or plan view of the stationary base and partsconnected therewith, the rotary platform and the parts above theplatform being detached. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged detail View of thelower end por# tion of the knife and standard to which the knife isconnected, 'said parts being slightly separated. Fig. 7 shows inperspective the straight-edge for the knife detached and alsoillustrating the device for clamping the rotary platform in position,and Fig. 8 shows a vertical central sectional view of the device forsupporting a small segmentof cheese.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 1'0 to indicate a base designed to st-and upon acounter or table. Fixed to the central portion of the base is an upright11, provided at its upper end with a vertical slot. Extendinghorizontally through the top of the apparatus is a serial no. 64,699.(No man.)

pin l2, oblong in cross-section for purposes hereinafter made clear.

The reference-numeral 13 indicates a circular cheese-supporting platformhaving au opening in its center, through which theupright 1l is passed.This platform is supported against tilting movements and at the sametime may freely. rotate by means of the supporting-,wheels let, mountedin the bearings l5, which are fixed to the base l0, said wheels engagingthe under surface of the platform. On top of the platform are a numberofsharp- 6o ened projectionsl to prevent the cheese from movinglaterally upon the platform. Beneath the platform I have rotatablymounted upon the upright ll an arm 17, projecting outwardly to a pointbeyond the periphery of `theplatform and then upwardly and provided atits outer endvwith a downwardly-projecting indicatorV 18. To the outerend of this 4arm I have pivoteda stop 19, capable of slight verticalmovement and normally standing in 7o fa position directly above the topof the rotatable platform. A contractile coil-spring 19a is fixed at oneend kto the arm 17 and at its 'other end to the base l0, so that thesaid arm is normally held to the limit of its movement in one directionand can belmoved in the other direction only against pressure ofthe saidspring.

vIiriedflo the base l0, adjacent to the pef riphery of the platform, isa support 20, hav-r 8c ing a slot therein to receive the `lower end ofan arm 2l, which arm is clamped in the support by means` of athumb-screw 22. The 4said armm2l is provided on one edge with valstraight-edged surface and is projected n'p- 85 wardly and thenhorizontally to a point directly'above the upright 1l where a loop 23 isformed open atits side adjacent to the straight odge of the arm, saidloop beingdesigned to admit the blade of the knife when said knife is in9o y its vertical position. Fixed to the under surface of the arm 2l,adjacent to the periphery of the platform 13, is a flat spring 24,having a flexible pad 25 on its under surface designed to engage theperiphery of the platform. Seated in the arm 2l is a screw-rod 26,

having a crank-arm 27, the inner end of the screw-rod engaging the outersurface of the spring 24. Obviously by a manipulation of the crank-arm27 ythe fiexible pad 25 will be held against the periphery of theplatform and the platform thereby firmly held in position.

The cheese-cutting knife comprises a straight blade 2S, having a handle29 at its top and also having at its lower end a vertical slot 30, ofasize to admit the oblong cross-piece 12, and at the top of said slot isan enlarged circular opening 3l, of a diameter equal to the verticaldimension of the oblong crosspiece l2, so that the knife may be movedstraight downwardly to receive t he cross-piece l2 into the opening 3l,and then when the knife is turned at any angle other than in a .straightvertical position it cannot be detached from the cross-piece 12.

The scale-holder is segmental in shape, preferably made of sheet metal,and is indicated by the reference-uutneral 32. lts upper and lower edgesare shaped to overlap the frontportion thereof and to receive a cardbearing a scale. This scale-holder is secured to the base b v means ofscrews 33 and one end thereof being in position adjaccntto the arm 21.

The scale proper is preferably made of cardboard and is indicated by thereference-numeral 34, upon which scale-card are indicated the weight ofthe cheese with which the card is to be used and also the price of thecheese per pound, and at the upper edge ofthe card is ascale havingmarks thereon indicating the money values of portions of the cheesewhose peripheral dimensions correspond to the marks on which the moneyvalues are placed.

I have also provided a device whereby a small segment of the circularcheese may be firmly supported upon the platform, so that portionsthereof may be cut, as follows: The numeral 35 indicates an uprighthaving a longitudinally-slot ted base 36, through which aset-screw 37 ispassed and seated in the platform. The top of the upright 35 is providedwith a vertical slot 38, and a crossf, piece 39 is secured to theupright, and the thumb-screw 40 is seated therein. An arm 41 projectsvertically through the cross-piece 39 in position to be engaged by thethumbscrew 40, andthe top of the arm 4L projects through the slot 3S andis provided1 with a cross-piece 42 on its end, said cross-piece beingprovided with downwardly-projected tines 43. Obviously by thisarrangement of parts the upright 35 may be adjusted to altnost anyposition on top of the platform, and the cross-piece 42 may bevertically adjusted, so that these tines will enter the top of a pieceof cheese of any ordinary height, and obviously when the set-screws aretightened small pieces of cheese will be firmly held in positionthereby.y

In practical use the operator first determines the exact centerof thecheese and then cuts a small .opening vertically through the centerthereof. Then the cheese is placed upon the platform, the projections 16firmly holdingit in position. When thisis done, the arm 2l is clamped inposition by meansof the thumb-screw 22, and the knife 28 is passeddownwardly through the opening inthe center of the cheese and throughthe slot in the top of the upright 11. Then the knife is turned to ahorizontal position and obviously the cheese is cut from the centeroutwardly. Before the cheese is placed in'position its accurate weightand value are determined. Then a card corresponding to the weight andvalue of the cheese is placed in the scaleholder with the first markthereon exactly in alinement with the cut previously made in the cheese.Then assuming that it is desired to cut from the cheese a piece of thevalue of twenty cents, the operator moves the r0- tary platform to aposition where the cut previously made in the cheese will be directly invertical alinement with the pointupon the scale indicated by the numeral20. Then the crank 27 is operated to firmly secure the platform inposition. Then the knifeis moved downwardly to a horizontal position,and a section is cut from the cheese, which section will be of theapproximate value of twenty cents. After the first section has beentaken from the cheese the stop 19 is moved to aposition overlapping thetop of the platform, and when the next section is to be cut from thecheese the cheese is turned until the stop engages the cheese and isturned with the cheese and platform until the indicator 18 points to themark upon the card corresponding in value with the section of cheese itis desired to cut from. Then the crank 27 is turned until the platformis clamped in position, and the knife is then operated to cut a sectionfrom the cheese. Obviously the spring 19 holds the stop 19 firmlyagainst the cheese, so that the indicator will point to a place upon thescale in exact alinement radially from the portion of the cheese exposedby thelastcut. This operation is continued until a comparatively smallsegment of the cheese remains. Then the device for holding this portionis placed upon the board by means of the setscrew 37, passing throughthe slot 36 and the at'm 42, having tines 43, made to engage the top ofthe section of cheese. Thus this section is firmly held while being cut.It is obvious, of course, that this auxiliary cheeseholder is disengagedfrom the platform, except when only a small portion of the cheeseremains to be cut.

In this connection it is to be remembered that it is essential to thecommercial practicability of a machine of this class that a maximum ofaccuracy be attained quickly and without measuring and that segments ofIOO vastly-diderent weights and sizes may be cut without the adjustmentof the parts. To accomplish this successfully in my machine, it isynecessary that a scale-card be supported in position in the path of theknife and that the arm pivoted beneath the rotary platform be providedwith an indicator pointing to the scale and also with a stop to engagethe side of the cheese from which the segment made by the previous cutwas taken and also that said indicator-arm may move from the knifepathover the scale-card, for by this combination quick and accurate work maybe attained, and by the use of a series of detachable scale-cards thedevice may be adapted l for cheeses of any ordinary size and value.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a cheese-cutting apparatus, a cheeseholder comprising a bodyportion adj ustably connected with a base, an arm vertically ad justableon the upright, and a cross-piece having downwardly-projecting lrines onsaid arm.

.2. In an improved computing cheese-cutting apparatus, the combinationwith a rotatable platform, a stationary support projected upwardlythrough the center of the platform, a knife pivoted to the support, anarm fixed to the stationary support to project over the platform andhaving a straight-edge to serve as a guide for the knife, and a scalefixed to the stationary support adjacent to the arm, an arm thereforpivoted beneath the platform and having a stop projecting over theplatform and also having an indicator adjacent to the scale, and aspring fixed at one end to thesaid arm and at the other end to thestationary support and designed to yieldingly hold the said arm in adirection toward the stationary arm, for the purposes stated.

' 3. In an improved cheese-cutting apparatus the combination of a base,a stationary support on the base having a slotted upper end and having apin passed through the slot and oblong in cross-section, and a knifehaving a narrow slot at its lower end terminating in a round opening,said knife being of such size as to enter the slot in the support, alslot in the knife being of-such size as to admit the pin when presentedvertically, and the opening at the upper end of the slot being largeenough to permit the knife to rotate, for the purposes stated.

4. In an improved computing cheese-cutting apparatus the combination ofa stationary support, a rotatable platform mounted on the support, anarm fixed to a stationary support and projecting over the rotatableplatform, an arm rotatably mounted upon the stationary support andprojecting beyond the edge of the platform, a stop pivoted to the arm tobe capable of engaging the top-of the platform, an indicator fixed tothe end of the arm, a

contractile coil-spring fixed at one end to the arm and the otherend tothe stationary support to normally hold the arm adjacent to thestationary arm, and a segmental scale fixed to the stationary supportadjacent to the indicator, for the purposes stated.

5. Animproved, computing, cheese-cutting apparatus, 'comprising incombination, a rotary platform for a cheese, a knife arranged to cutradially from the center of the cheese,

a scale-card mounted in a stationary support and arranged in position inthe knife-path,

an arm pivotally mounted concentric of the platform and capable ofmovement from the knife-path over the scale-card, and an indicator onthe arm to project over the scalecard, for the purposes stated.

6. An improved, computing, cheese-cutting apparatus, comprising incombination, a rotary platform for a cheese, a knife arranged to cutradially from the center of the cheese, a scale-card mounted in astationary support and arranged in position in the knife-path, an armpivotally mounted concentric of the platform and capable of movementfrom the knifepath over the scale-card, and an indicator on the arm toproject over the scale-card, and a stop on the arm to project over theplatform and to engage the fiat surface of the cheese formed by the lastpreceding cut of the knife.

7. Animproved,computing,cheese-cutting apparatus, comprising incombination, a rotary platform for a cheese, a knife arranged to cutradially from the center of the cheese, a scale-card mounted in astationary support and arranged in position in the knife-path, al1 armpivo'tally mounted concentric of the plat-- form and capable of movementfrom the knifepath over the scale-card, and an indicator on the arm toproject overthe scale-card, and a stop pivoted to said arm and capableof movement from a position above the rotary platform and inwardlybeyond the periphery of the cheese,to a substantially vertical position.

8. An improved, computing,cheesecutting apparatus, comprising incombination a rotary platform for a cheese, a straight-edged knife-guidearranged over the platform, a knife to cut radially from the center ofthe cheese and to bear against said knife-guide, a scale-card mounted inthe stationarysupport` adjacent to the end of the knife-guide, an armpivoted concentric of the platform to rotate in a horizontal plane andhaving an indicator projected over the scale-card, a stop on the saidarm to project over the rotary platform, and a contractile coil-springfixed to the arm and to a stationary support and arranged to normallyhold the said arm in a direction toward the knife-guide, for thepurposes stated.

9. An improved,computing, cheese-cutting apparatus, comprising a base, arotary platform .for a cheese on the base, a knife arranged to cutradially from the center of the cheese, a scale-card holder on the baseadlog jacent to the periphery of the rotary platform of the cheese te anelevated position, and a 1o and in the knife-path, a stationary guide, aspring attached to the said arm and to the maseale-card in the holder,an arm pivoted bechine-base to normally hold the arm against neatli theplatform and having an indicator the knife-guide, for the purposesstated.

5 to point to the scale-card and capable of moving from the knife-pathover the scale-card, a TILLIAM M' EVANS stop pivoted to the arm toproject over the \Vltnesses: platform and capable of movement from aALMA VAN GIESON, position projecting inwardly beyond the edge E. C. OGG.

